New Technique to Detect Gravitational Waves - By Usayed Mahmud

Researchers have recently announced that gravitational waves could be found by looking for a change in the brightness of stars.

Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time that were first suggested by Albert Einstein as part of his theory of general relativity. The waves that an object creates are larger in the case of objects with greater masses.

This image shows two black holes orbiting each
other, generating gravitational waves.

Though they have not been able to directly observe gravitational waves, scientists are still trying to detect them by using lasers both in space and on the ground. It has been difficult for scientists to detect these waves because they have a very little effect on matter.

Scientists have theorized that stars that vibrate at the same frequency as gravitational waves can absorb much of the energy from the ripples. So, if a star absorbs a lot of energy from gravitational waves, it can appear brighter than it typically look.

However, it will be difficult to tell if a star brightens up by energy from gravitational waves or by some other factor. Researchers have come up with a solution. They will look at large groups of stars. When a group of stars come near a system of black holes, researchers believe that the larger stars will brighten first. Then as the black holes come closer together, the frequency of these gravitational waves will increase, and then the smaller stars will be able to absorb the energy and they will brighten, too.

I found this article interesting because I have always been fascinated in space. Last year in science, we discussed Einstein's Theories of Relativity. I remember talking about how Einstein said that space and time were one thing. Its interesting that after nearly 100 years after these theories were proposed, people are still discovering new methods to show the existence of the things Einstein suggested.

Link to the article: 

http://www.space.com/27510-gravitational-wave-detection-method.html

Can Drones Help Prevent Diseases? By Nihal Sidhu

In a remote area of Southeast Asia, drones are fighting a battle — not against terrorists or insurgents, but against infectious disease.

For the past few years many scientist have tried new ways to implement technology into fighting disease, and now drones are being used to help fight diseases! Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that are, in this instance, used to detect areas affected by disease. Researchers in the island called Borneo have been using these flying robots in order to find out areas that contain the malaria parasite called Plasmodium knowlesi which has mostly been impacting macaque monkeys. This malaria parasite is quite dangerous since it is both deadly and can spread to humans. These scientists are using the drone called senseFly eBee in order to map and understand the path of this parasite and to find out what regions are affected by this parasite.

The photo above is the drone that is being used in Borneo.

I chose this article since I have been reading many articles about diseases such as Ebola, and I wanted to see how other diseases were being solved. This article caught my eye because it involved both technology, and how technology is being implemented to prevent diseases. This article stood out from the rest because these scientists were able to take a independent flying vehicle, and use it in the field of science.

I found this article very interesting since I did not know how technology has been helping prevent and cure diseases. I found it surprising that these drones which are usually in combat and war, is used to track a parasite. Usually when I watch movies I see drones used for combat and to spy on an enemy, and it was amazing to find out that researchers are taking a war related vehicle, and implementing it into the field of science.

Also, this article is pertinent to my life since there has been many diseases passing throughout the world, that may or may not effect me at one point. This article shows me how scientists are using technology in order to prevent diseases to reach others, including myself. It is comforting to know and inspiring that these scientists used high quality technology to stop the disease and allow me and many others to live in a life full of comfort.

The link to the Article: http://www.livescience.com/48396-drones-track-infectious-disease.html

Why Are We Living Longer than Our Ancestors? by Sampoojya Nyalakonda

            Have you ever stopped and thought about your ancestors? Maybe perhaps when learning about evolution you thought about what it much have been like to live as hunter-gatherers, without the technology or medicine or any of the advancements that we have today. You may have thought about those things, but did you ever consider their life span?
            Though it's a well know fact that we humans evolved from apes, you may not know that apes currently have 2 times a shorter life span than hunter-gatherer groups today who lack the medicine and technology that we have in "industrialized" civilizations. Studies have also been done that show that hunter- gatherer groups today, who live in a similar way as the hunter-gatherers way long before us, have much higher mortality rates than those who live in industrialized countries such as the U.S. Many scientists believe that this increase in life span is due to all the amazing and influential advancements in technology and medicine that have occurred over the past hundreds of years, especially in the last few decades.
             I think that it's great that we are increasing our life spans with technology, and it amazes me how much of an impact medical and technological advancements have made in our society.

People always associate the word technology with smartphones and televisions and video games, but they never realize that technology is such a broad and vast idea. Basically everything around you is technology in some way or another. The chair you're possibly sitting on is technology, and so is the bowl you could have eaten cereal from this morning.
             This article opened my eyes and made me realize that so many of the things I, and you, use everyday are fascinating, and they aid us a lot, especially modern medicine. It was interesting to me how simple ideas and our curiosity led to world around us, which all leads back to us being able to live longer and sustain happier and healthier lives. I believe that this article is relatable to not only me, but to practically the whole population of the world. Such simple technologies are what are allowing us to live longer lives, and that, is amazing!

Want to check out the article? Click here!

Blue LEDS and how amazing they are!

Why should you care about blue LED? It’s just light right? Blue LED actually can create white light, which what we use for TV displays, blu-ray players, and so much more. Blue LED’s combined with red and green ones, make white light. This light, is much more energy-saving, and is better. LED light tend to be ecologically better. An interesting fact  about white light is that one can use different light bulb, like regular light bulbs which  give  16 lumen per watt, Fluorescent lights have 70 lumen per watt, but LED lamps can go up to 300 lumen per watt. Lumens, are a way to measure how bright something is. Before when people had fluorescent light bulbs, it probably wasn't really bright, since they are only 70 l/w. But, LEDS can have up to 300 watts, which is cool and super bright. I think most plays and theaters would use LEDS since they are super bright. LEDS can go up to 100,000 hours of light, compared to the mere 10,000 hours for fluorescent bulbs or only 1,000 for normal light bulbs. The iPhone or Samsung uses these amazing LEDS;  and no one can use their phone without it, because their phone most likely uses white light created by blue LED. There is something called an ultraviolet LED, which was created by blue LEDS, and what UV LEDS, can do are decontaminate polluted water. UV light kills germs and bacteria, and with this invention, it is possible to have clean water. This invention is barely 20 years old, but it’s a wonderful invention. This year a nobel prize of physics was given to 3 Japanese scientists for creating this wonderful and amazing invention.

I think blue LEDS are really cool. I never knew that my computer screen, or my phone is generated by this invention. It is pretty awesome that we have white light, and it’s so useful in our lives. I know that if we didn't have blue LEDS, many things would be different. Our phones, and TV screens would most likely look different and be less bright. It's such a wonderful contribution to our world. It's such a useful invention, and I think the scientists who created this deserved that Nobel prize since it's such a big thing in our world today.
Articles:

http://blog.tcpi.com/2013/02/13/what-are-lumens-what-does-it-mean-for-me/

http://www.newsweek.com/how-blue-led-changed-world-and-won-nobel-prize-275977

http://www.livescience.com/48193-how-blue-leds-changed-the-world.html

http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/why-blue-led-worth-nobel-prize

Virtual Reality Technology By Harsh Sharma

What is Virtual Reality

     Virtual Reality (VR) Technology is new, and rising in popularity, in the current world. It is a variation of the systems seen in the Matrix and Inception. VR systems simply sync your physical body with your virtual avatar.

                         How it Works

Gloves send your physical movements to the virtual world which
you can see through the goggles.

     The VR systems utilize your physical actions in reality and translate them into actions in your virtual avatar. Then all images produced are sent to a screen which you watch to create your next move. In short, it is like the current video games, but you are able see everything through the avatar's eyes giving you a more immersive environment.

What It can be Used For

     The VR systems main purpose will be directed towards gaming, although, it has many other uses. Instead of driving to a meeting, you could use your VR system and join a server in which you could communicate with the others with the aid of visuals. In other words, you could see virtual power points and presentations. It could also be used for social interaction by meeting people around the world and then have a virtual walk through a virtual park to play virtual games. Another major usage for VR systems would be for blueprinting buildings and walking through the architects creation, or in a completely opposite world where there are no laws, where you could fly and build absurd buildings. Using VR systems, your imagination is literally your limit. School would also be changed as you would take tests without cheating since your vision would be restricted for what you could see from side to side. The possibilities are endless.

                                                      Our Progress

   We already have products which can give us a more immersive feel such as the Oculus Rift which can track our vision and physical movement. Sony has revealed it's VR system project Morpheus for the Play Station 4. Currently, it is being used to really bring out the First Person Point of View in the Play Station games. As of now, VR systems are being used as visual aid more than anything else.

The Future

    VR Systems could be used to fully immerse us in a virtual world. I am excited to see how Virtual Reality Technology will unfold and what changes it will produce in our current society.

I was inspired to right this blog when I read an article by technologyreview.com (http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/531751/the-quest-to-put-more-reality-in-virtual-reality/)

A few good videos to watch

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/turning-virtual-reality-into-an-everyday-reality/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8uuDT5AYts

The Physics behind Shooting

The Physics behind Shooting

                Do you know that to shoot a three-pointer in basketball you need a launch speed of eighteen miles per hour? Or Did you know that the angle you need to shoot the ball to get into the hoop differs with height? In his book "The Physics of Basketball", Dr.John Fontanella (a Physics professor at the Us Naval Academy). discusses the secrets to shooting a basketball and how knowing physics can help you play better. He states how a 5'4" player should have a launch angle of the ball at 52.2 degrees, and a 5’8″ player should launch the ball at a 51.5 degree angle. The book also explains how different spots on the court need different launch speeds. For example, when shooting a 2-foot shot, you only need a launch speed of approximately 10 miles per hour.  For a 3-point shot you need a launch speed of approximately 18 miles per hour.  More force (speed) is necessary for longer shots to get the ball to the basket. It is hard to believe but shooting a basketball perfectly every time can be done by just applying simple sounding physics. 

Even Ray Allen can't do that.

                   That however is what makes basketball so interesting, even great shooters like Ray Allen and Kevin Durant cannot mimic these simple sounding  but hard task of using physics to shoot, that is why they put in a strenuous amount of effort to get better every year. They can't mimic this because of the amount of mental strength, perseverance ans stubbornness needed to duplicate these rules in a "In- Game" situation. In his book Dr. Fontanella claims that your target area becomes greater with a higher launch angle.  Therefore, the higher the arc, the larger the target. It makes sense to shoot with an high arc, because it increases the size of your target.  However, since a higher arc requires more force at the time of release to propel the basketball higher, it makes it difficult to control the shot because in basketball shooting has to be a balance of power and accuracy. If there is too much power and less accuracy then the ball will bounce of the backboard and if there is less power and more accuracy then the ball will fall short of the rim. Therefore, Launch speed is power and launch angle is accuracy. 

A Free-Body Diagram on the forces acting on the Basketball.

                   I Chose this article because it applied to me, i love to play basketball especially to score in basketball. It is common knowledge that releasing a ball into the air will require force and arc however, i did not know that these things differ with different heights, force or angles. Furthermore, the basketball is actually in Projectile motion which i always found as an interesting topic in Physics. However, I really cannot believe that the secrets to shooting the perfect basketball shot and never missing are in physics, because i always thought that shooting in basketball came through constant practice, a natural shooting form and strenuous training. I guess i was wrong!

The Basketball's Projectile Motion!

Article Website Url:  http://www.secretsofshooting.com/the-physics-of-shooting/

3D-Printed Human Embryonic Stem Cells Created for First Time - (Eric Holder)

link to article:http://www.livescience.com/26865-3d-printed-embryonic-stem-cells.html

Here is a link to a cool video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp6ltI8z-uE

A new fascinating discovery has been made in the scientific community! Stem cell scientists discover a way to  possibly print 3-D  human cells. They call it the Cell Printer and it is able to print out human cells. Scientists from Heriot-Watt University created the cell printer to be able to create cells that can transform into specified cells. Stem cells are unique cells that are able to be manipulated and transformed into specialized cells such as red blood cells or kidney cells. This machine's product can be used to test drugs on human organs instead of animals, it can be used to grow organs, or repair broken body parts.

(The new 3-D Cell Printer)

     I chose this article because it fascinated me. The fact that humans were able to create a machine that is able to create human organs is amazing. This technology is only found in movies and books. I have always loved futuristic medical devices that are able to make humans immortal or make them invincible. Now there is a device that could do all that. It can create human hearts or it could be used to replace failing organs which would make us live longer.

(This is a sample of the machines output)

      One of the reasons why this technology is not being further researched is because of ethics. Many people believe that this is unethical because the cells that are used for the research are live embryos. Many say that it is killing the life of a  unborn child. I believe that this research allows living, breathing humans to live a better life. Stem cell research is said to be the ultimate cure. Isn't the life of an unborn embryo less valuable then the life of living breathing person?

     This  will definitely change my life. Within a few years when this technology is perfected or near perfected there will no longer be a huge threat of disease. If I were to lose an arm then all the doctor would have to do is make me a new one. Or if my heart failed then it would just be replaced. This means that humans could potential live for a long time. Most humans die due to a major organ failing, but if we are able to replace it, could we live forever? Also, this intrigues me because if 50 years ago this technology was an impossible fantasy but now it is a reality, then what is in store for the human race 50 years from now? 

    

No Pain, No Aging (By Meghana Reddy)

Does having a painless life make you live longer? Does having chronic pain possibly shorten your life? Perhaps. But, what is pain, how do we define pain? Studies by the University of California, Berkeley used the very feeling of pain.Celine Riera conducted a mouse study with genetically mutated mice that do not have the pain receptor TRPV1 that can be combined with capsaicin which can be found in chili peppers. The mice had shown having a significantly higher metabolism than regular mice there is a strong relationship between metabolism and aging. 

They found the mice lifespan was twelve to sixteen percent higher; a hundred to one hundred thirty days longer than regular lab mice. These amazing mice also showed increased oxygen consumption, energy, and activity levels. In animals, when pain receptors like TRPV1 spark pain, they let out a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide which blocks the pancreas from releasing insulin and promotes inflammation. Aging mice contained too much of the calcitonin gene-related peptide.

I think this article makes me want to change my way of thinking and my attitude towards my life. It was extremely thought provoking for me personally, especially after hearing that pain is good for health or other tales like that, the article shows how delicate human life is. The article gives me a lot to think about, it makes me feel a lot more sympathy for people who have chronic pain. Not only can their life be short, but also painful. I think this also connect to the increasing stress of our demanding school district. I  hope this article will give new perspectives to many of the straining students in our school.

On the contrary I think there are so many ways pain is viewed, and can be viewed. In the experiment done, they used the pain receptor, but as humans they are emotional, physical, and mental pain. Also as teenagers our views as “monumental pain” may not be the same as an adults.

Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than three to six months, but is sadness and pain the same thing? Sadness, heartbreak, and sorrow could last years.

I chose this article because I thought it would stir the most reactions in my peers and make people stop and think about the meaning of pain and the article. I feel as though being aware of whether a lot of the sayings that go around like “No Pain, No Gain” are true, help in our daily lives.

Article:

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/05/22/the-pain-of-aging/

Video :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX_HAS4PFzE

Pendulums- How do they work?

It's always fun to hold a pendulum up and watch it swing back and forth. But have you ever actually wondered how a pendulum works? What really makes it swing back and forth in such a fascinating way? Of course, the simple answer would be gravity. But there is a much more complex reason as to why it does this.
So what exactly is a pendulum? A pendulum is a relatively massive object(usually round) that is hung by a string from a fixed support. Pendulums typically hang vertically in its equilibrium position. This massive object is referred to as a pendulum bob. When this bob is released, it begins to swing back and forth, or, to use more accurate terminology, it begins a back and forth vibration about its equilibrium position.
When the bob is about to be released, it is in a state of potential energy. Once it is released,while in a state of kinetic energy, the bob is dragged down by gravity, and pulled up again immediately by the tension in the string. These are the two dominant forces that are acting upon the bob. The gravity force is the predictable one- it always goes downwards, and it always has the same magnitude. However, the tension force is where it gets tricky. To quote from the article, "as the bob swings to the left of its equilibrium position, the tension force is at an angle - directed upwards and to the right. And as the bob swings to the right of its equilibrium position, the tension is directed upwards and to the left. "
The movement of a pendulum bob can be associated with three types of energy- kinetic, potential, and total mechanical energy. Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses while in motion. Therefore, the faster an object is moving, the more kinetic energy it possesses. As we see in the diagram below, the kinetic energy of a pendulum bob is increased as it gets closer to its set equilibrium position, and it decreases as it gets farther away.

Potential energy is the stored energy of position. This simple pendulum uses gravitational potential energy, whose amount is based on the mass and the height of an object. To quote the article, "The height of an object is expressed relative to some arbitrarily assigned zero level. In other words, the height must be measured as a vertical distance above some reference position. For a pendulum bob, it is customary to call the lowest position the reference position or the zero level. So when the bob is at the equilibrium position (the lowest position), its height is zero and its potential energy is 0 J. As the pendulum bob does the back and forth, there are times during which the bob is moving away from the equilibrium position. As it does, its height is increasing as it moves further and further away. It reaches a maximum height as it reaches the position of maximum displacement from the equilibrium position. As the bob moves towards its equilibrium position, it decreases its height and decreases its potential energy."

The third type of energy, total mechanic energy, is a bit complicated, so I will not go into that. The article talks about it if you're interested in what it is and what effects it has on the pendulum.
Finally, the period of a pendulum. The period is the time it takes for a vibrating object to complete its cycle. In the case of the pendulum, it is the time it takes for the pendulum, looking at the above diagram, to get from G to A(to put it simply). The article has an interesting study in it on what factors affect the pendulum's period, and it seems that the only thing that can affect a pendulum's period is the length of the string. Nothing else works. Not the height that you drop it from, not the arc. Only the length of the string can change the period of the pendulum. Interesting, right?

So, the explanation as to why pendulums work wasn't as simple as you may have thought it to be, right? As you can see, physics played a huge part in why a pendulum works. Next time you look at a pendulum, look at it a little closer. Experiment a little. Maybe you'll find that no matter what angle you drop it at, or what height, the length won't change.




Sources: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-0/Pendulum-Motion

Einstein’s of Theory of Relativity Stands Tall (By Sean Martin)

                Imagine if the Theory of Relativity of Einstein was proven wrong.  There would be a huge out roar in the scientific community and many of the theories that were based on his finding would be extinguished. Also information such as age of star, age of universe, and distance to the stars would be changed into another unit of measure. If this theory was proved wrong, Einstein would probably be rolling in his grave.

                

              In 2011, a group of people part of the Italy's subterranean Gran Sasso National Laboratory claimed that a particle called neutrinos was faster than the speed of light. They made this claim based of their finding that they had gotten from an OPERA (Oscillation Project with Emulsion-Tracking Apparatus) particle detector and it had showed that neutrinos traveled at speed 0.02% faster than the speed of light. This would mean that Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity was wrong. Albert Einstein’s theory of Relativity is in simple terms says that nothing in the universe can travel at the speed of light (186,282 miles per second).

               

            Thankfully for Einstein and the rest of the scientific community the experiment was disproved. The problem with the lab was that there was a loose optic cable as well as there was delay in the timing system. This small mistake put the speed of neutrinos just under the speed of light.

                

            I had first heard of neutrinos from my dad one day when he had heard of it from the news. I was instantly hooked to this interesting topic. It is also interesting and intriguing in that our everyday life and the earth with the universe that we live in is so much interconnected to this theory.  

 Closing in on the speed of light (Image: Volker Steger/ Science Photo Library)

                                                                                

                                                            Sources

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21899-neutrinos-dont-outpace-light-but-they-do-shapeshift.html#.VD3o8PnF-Sp

http://erudiomag.com/2013/05/03/what-if-einstein-was-wrong/

http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/06/once-again-physicists-debunk-faster-light-neutrinos

Breathtaking: New crystal steals oxygen from air, paves way for long, long plunge (By Rohan Vakacharla)

  Published time: October 05, 2014 14:53
  Edited time: October 08, 2014 05:45

The crystalline material changes color when absorbing or releasing oxygen. Crystals are black when they are saturated with oxygen and pink when the oxygen has been released again. (Image from sdu.dk)

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Tags

Australia, Biology, EU, Medicine, Military,Science

Danish scientists have invented a revolutionary crystalline material that can absorb and store oxygen in high concentrations. A bucket of such material can suck the oxygen out of a room, which could potentially wave goodbye to heavy oxygen masks.

Imagine if you could get rid of the bulky scuba tank while taking a dive. Now, imagine practically any task to which the storage and timely release of oxygen is absolutely essential. And you have the new crystal developed at the University of Southern Denmark, with help from the University of Sydney, Australia.

A few microscopic grains are enough for one gulp of air, but a bucketful - or 10 liters - can completely suck the oxygen out of a room.

"In the lab, we saw how this material took up oxygen from the air around us,” Professor Christine McKenzie, who led the study, said.

When different things are exposed to oxygen, they react differently – from wine to food to living organisms, varying factors (pressure, temperature etc.) and time of exposure can fundamentally alter things. However, what you get with the new discovery is a way of controlling oxygen by not reacting with it.

This was ascertained by using x-ray diffraction, showing the material’s atomic behavior when it was full of oxygen, then when it was depleted of it.

"An important aspect of this new material is that it does not react irreversibly with oxygen - even though it absorbs oxygen in a so-called selective chemisorptive process. The material is both a sensor, and a container for oxygen - we can use it to bind, store and transport oxygen – like a solid artificial hemoglobin," McKenzie says.

"It is also interesting that the material can absorb and release oxygen many times without losing the ability. It is like dipping a sponge in water, squeezing the water out of it and repeating the process over and over again," she continues.

Image from sdu.dk

To release the stored oxygen, all that is needed is to heat up the material, or pressure it. And those are just the known, natural ways. McKenzie and the team are now looking further than that.

“We are now wondering if light can also be used as a trigger for the material to release oxygen – this has prospects in the growing field of artificial photosynthesis," she says.

What may be surprising to some is how natural the process of storing the oxygen really is. The key component in the new material is the metal cobalt. It possesses a natural quality for absorption and“gives the new material precisely the molecular structure that enables it to absorb oxygen from its surroundings.”

There was also the question of time and speed: different conditions can affect this differently, and so can different versions of the material. This is crucial for the types of applications where controlled release is necessary – like in a gas mask or diving gear. Layering and arranging the material correctly will prevent its ability to just suck up the stuff from the surrounding air or water.

"When the material is saturated with oxygen, it can be compared to an oxygen tank containing pure oxygen under pressure - the difference is that this material can hold three times as much oxygen,"McKenzie went on.

This could be valuable for lung patients who today must carry heavy oxygen tanks with them. But also divers may one day be able to leave the oxygen tanks at home and instead get oxygen from this material as it “filters” oxygen from its surroundings.

I chose this article because the instance I took a glance at the title, the article grabbed my attention and as I read along I found it very intriguing that a crystal could be able to absorb oxygen and allow it to be used for later. This is a huge accomplishment as it allows humans to do much more things in the water and allow divers to breathe under water. Divers will be able to go to deeper water and not worry about oxygen levels. This would lead to many new explorations. In general, breathing under water is really cool. It's like being Aquaman. In addition, the article explains how this crystal is significant to lung patients. This is a breakthrough for future medical issues. These crystals might be useful for a lot of other things.

Source: http://rt.com/news/193280-crystal-breathe-underwater-oxygen/

A Revolution in Biotechnology

Transplants and replacements of tissues and vessels in the body has long been in arduous task for surgeons and others working in medicine. It involves surgeons manually constructing implants and using a cement-like substance in order for it to fit perfectly where the patient needs it to fit. This unenviable process becomes even harder when surgeons have to construct complete organs which have elaborate structures. The existing process is ineffective and time-consuming, and as a result eighteen Americans die every year.

Enter a new cutting-edge technology: the 3D Printer. Renowned for their recent constructions of various items such as cars, food, and musical instruments, 3D Printers are now being used in medicine. As 3D Printers are far more precise than human construction, the use of 3D Printers in the field could be a promising boost to the current transplant processes. 3D Printing of organs hasn’t been perfected yet, but the technology is already capable of manufacturing organ tissues.

The 3D Printing process for tissues, called bioprinting, involves harvesting necessary cells from stem cells and letting them multiply in number. The resulting cells are fed into a 3D printer, which arranges and prints the precisely into the needed three dimensional structure for the tissue. The surgeons then insert the tissue into the body, where it meshes in with the tissues already in the area of the tissue transplant. The printing of the tissues is an extremely quick process- it sometimes takes only 45 minutes.

Experts in the field speculate that in the coming years there will be a swift development in the use of bioprinting. Funded by grants from governments and research foundations, the race to complete new advancements in bioprinting is on. Universities have worked on a project that uses printed tissue to imitate functions of the most important organs in the body. Many companies and research firms are on the edge of creating their own authentic bioprinted organs to use for transplants or drug testing. The possibilities in the field for the near future are endless!

I chose this article because my family and I are interested in a lot of the new innovations out there, and after seeing the 3D Printer at last year’s Maker Faire, we started following the growth of the 3D Printer. This article just shows another example of how the 3D Printer will come to revolutionize the world.

                                             An artificial ear made by printing

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/03/tech/innovation/3-d-printing-human-organs/

Our Understanding of Giraffes Does Not Measure Up (Eshita Sangal)

Giraffes, the staple animal of every zoo, might be the tallest animal but they are often overlooked and missed by the science community. These giant creatures who emit a sense of grandeur are mute. They seamlessly blend into their habitat without making any sound. Not until recently, Giraffes have been easily forgotten.

Giraffes have been misrepresented as "stupid" as one wildlife biologist asserted. After recent studies were conducted, zoologists and giraffe researchers began to unravel the mystery behind giraffes and realize there is more to appreciate about the giraffe than just its height. 

The social structure of giraffes is rather interesting, especially between young bulls and elder bulls (men). Even male giraffes have a certain amount of haughtiness and a sense of superiority that becomes evident in the way they carry themselves around females. The young bulls follow the example of the elder males as they hold their neck up high and have sexual antics. But as soon as an older bull walks in the younger bull backs away in fear. Dominance clashes between older and younger bulls can be lethal. 

The article also highlights the drastic plummet of the giraffe population by 40% even though they aren't officially labeled as an endangered species. The giraffes,that are often overlooked, are really an important part of the ecosystem because they constantly feed, prune, distribute seeds, and sometimes pollinate. Giraffes also have excellent vision. Their peripheral vision is so widely ranged and their eyes are so wide set that they can practically see what is going on behind them. 

Giraffes don't like to run! They don't tend to run as the amount of blood pumped into the body of a giraffe per minute is significantly lower than an average humans: their hearts can't deliver blood to their muscles fast enough. But the advantages of being tall, being able to constantly eat, has completely overridden the price of a  slow reflex.

This article genuinely intrigued me as new information about the mysterious giraffes was being brought into the limelight. Giraffes can kick lions, they can participate in fights with their brutal necks and display qualities that are majestic. Misconceptions were eradicated and an animal which has been drawn, made fun of, admired, is now delineated in aspects that were overlooked not too long ago. The giraffe are true kings of the animal kingdom. 

 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/science/our-understanding-of-giraffes-does-not-measure-up.html ref=science&_r=0

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxTh7cXRPrI

'Star Wars': Science Fiction Yesterday, Reality Today (By Prachi Gaddam )

                       Even those of us who aren't avid Star Wars fans have been impacted by this cultural phenomenon. Heard of "droids"? Yup, those are robots with near human level artificial intelligence. While, science hasn't developed robots that are as intelligent as R2-D2, researchers are developing robots that can solve more complex problems and adapt to various environments. Here are some of the amazing feats that the field of robotics has created so far: 

Driving Droids-  Google is testing a self-driving car that can navigate the roads safely and automatically using lasers and a system of sensors that create a 3D map of the area. A South Korean tech company took a humanoid robot and programmed it to fly a plane! I believe this is an extremely significant contribution since the amount of fatal road accidents is very high and this could potentially lower the amount of accidents from ignorance, drunk-driving and texting while driving.

Scout Droids- In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes back, the probe droid or drone  reveal the Rebels base and Vader attacks using this information. In real life, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles)  are used in the military and are flown by remote pilots. Scientists are attempting to develop more artificial intelligence for these drones although it is controversial since it could cause more war casualties and the possibility of problems with ethics. I think this is so beneficial to the military especially now with ISIS since we could send these drones in to take down the terrorist groups without human error or death. 

Medical Droids- Robots are being introduced into the medical field. In Montreal, engineers have been working on "microbots" that can seal wounds, clear arteries and explore them. Also, devices allow doctors to remotely care for their patients such as the "Robotic Nursing Assistant". IBM's Watson (who won Jeopardy!) searches though medical databases and finds people who would be the perfect candidates for medical trials. These inventions could save so many lives and gives us a better understanding of the human body and could help discover the cures for diseases. Also, patients from developing countries where many diseases are prevalent could receive remote care from experienced and well-trained doctors.

Astromech Droids- An astromech droid is a multi-functional robot that can respond to a variety of problems (Like R2-D2!). While there are no true to life versions of the lovable R2, in 2006 NASA developed a robot that helps astronauts in micro gravity such as during docking operations and emergency repairs. I think this is a very beneficial engineering feat since it could decrease the number of machine failure related deaths in outer space and help solve problems in dire situations. 

Protocol Droids- The robots that you can communicate with as a friend, translator or servant. (Like R2-D2's friend C-3PO). Honda developed one named Asimo who responds to human actions and voices and can also play soccer. Japan's Otonaroid is able to converse with people although the robots are really only mouthpieces for human operators. It would be so much fun to be able to converse with a robot with artificial intelligence. These robots could be the new translators or servants to prestigious families and I would love to have a robot friend!

I strongly believe that devolving of robot droids is significantly contributing to various fields including road safety, aerodynamics, military operations, medical procedures and research and space. This really shows how what was once thought to exist only in the realm of science fiction is becoming reality.One an't wait to actually communicate with an R2-D2 like droid and finally live in a world like George Lucas's universe. Perhaps one day, the world will be a safer place with these artificially intelligent droids. 

Source: Article and Pictures: http://www.livescience.com/48209-star-wars-droids-drones.html